Golf-club.



L. D. HOLDEN.

G O L F C L U B (Application filed Oct. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Patented July 3, I900.

I: venfol,

Jami MM I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LIBERTY DEAN HOLDEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GOLF-CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 653,023, dated July 3, 1900.

Applicatlonfiled October 18,1898. Serial No. 693,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIBERTY DEAN HOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Golf-Clubs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates especially to the kind ofa golf-club which is specifically called a putter-that is to say, a club which is used on the putting-greens to knock the ball into the hole. It may,however,be used with clubs otherwise named and designed primarily for other specific uses.

The object is to afford means for accurately aiming the club, or, in golf parlance, addressing the ba11 thatis to say, forholdin-g the club in such position relative to the ball and the hole that if struck by the club in that position the ball will roll straight to the be e.

The invention consists in a golf-club of substantially the sort shown, having a direction-' rod projecting from the rear side of the club behind theface thereof, substantially as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of, my improved golf-club. Fig. 2 .is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, and Fig. 4is a sectionalplan view of a modified construction.

The improvement consists in securing a straight direction-rod B to the rear side of the club-head,near the middle thereof,so that it projects rearward in a line which when the club is properly held is in a vertical plane at rilglat angles to the plane of the face of the c u Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the club-head, which is preferably made of metal and has at one end a socket on for the reception of the' shaft 0. This socket, and consequently the shaft which is inserted into it, lies at a more or less obtuse angle to the bottom or sole (1 of the club-head. In using the club the sole is held close and parallel to the ground. The face a of the club under such conditions usually inclines backward or, as more commonly stated, is laid back more or less, depending upon the particular use for which the club is contrived. In a putter the face is commonly laid back less than in other clubs. The direction-rod B is placed about midway between the ends of the club-head and so that when the club is held properly the vertical plane in which the axis of the rod lies is at right angles to the face of the club. The 'rod itself may or may not be at right angles to the face of the club, (unless it were very short it could not be if the face were laid back much;) but it is preferably so placed-that when the club is properly held in addressing the ball this rod is horizontal. I

In using the club the ball is addressed by placing behind the ball that part of the club head which is directly in front of the rod, the head being turned until the rod is in such position that if its axis-were prolonged through the ball it would pass centrally over the hole into which the player seeks to put the ball. Under these conditions if the ball is struck by the club-head when in this position the ball will be driven straight for the hole. This rod therefore assists the player to aim the club exactly, which is a very important matter, because a very slight inaccuracy in placing the club-head will, if the ball be several yards from the hole, cause the ball to roll to one side or the other of the hole.

The direction-rod B is preferably removably secured to the club-head, and in the best construction it is screw-threaded and screws into a threaded hole in said head, which construction isshown in Fig. 4. As shown in this figure, the head is thickened on the rear side, and the threaded hole is formed in this thick portion, this being regarded as the best construction. When golf-clubs are not in use, they are commonly carried in-a bag, and. the direction-rod is made removable for two reasonsfirst, so that it may be more con-veniently carried in said bag, and, second, so that it will not be liable to become bent or broken when not in use.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. In a golf-club, the combination of the head, and a shaft secured to and projecting upward from one end of said head, with a straight direction-rod secured to the rear side of said head about midway between its ends, and projecting rearward therefrom, which IOO rod, when the club is in its usual position lies in a vertical plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the face of the head, substantially as specified.

2. In a golf-club, the combination of a head, and a shaft-socket which is integral with one end of said head, with a straight, slim direction-rod which is removably secured to the rear side of said head about midway between its ends and which projects rearwardly from said head, and when the club is in its usual operating position lies in a Vertical plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the face of the head, substantially as specified.

3. In a golf-club, the combination of the head and a straight direction-rod which is screwed into a threaded hole in the rear side of said club, from which it projects rearwardly, and lies, when the club is in the usual operative position, in a position at substantially right angles to the plane of the face of the head, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LIBERTY DEAN HOLDEN.

Witnesses:

E. L. THURSTON, PHILIP E. KNOWLTON. 

